Make
sure to use a waterproof glue suitable to your climate. If you can get waxed paper
in your area, for frame elements, we dip the ends in glue and put them in place
on the wax paper over the drawing. The new waxed paper we get has little wax,
and works great as the glue sticks slightly to it making it stay in place. It
peals off well after the glue is set, but leaves glue that might have to be trimmed
later for fit with other components. As with all glues, excess is best cleaned
up before it sets. If you will be doing a clear finish, we have found that
small glue mistakes don't show if clear setting glue is used, and Thompson's clear
water seal is used. Still it is best to clean up, especially areas where
a hardened glob interferes with further construction. (Easier to remove
a soft lump than a hard glob)
Cutting Tips,
For cutting small material (1x2 & 1x4) a sharp
knife or even side cutter can be used. For larger sizes a razor saw or band
saw with a fine tooth blade works well. For fine tuning a piece of sandpaper
laid on a flat surface works great, holding the piece vertical and giving it a
few strokes with light pressure across the sandpaper. With all tools, caution
and safety is important. Remember this is a real wood product. There might
be some warping. Material if not being used for a while (overnight) should
be wrapped or bundled together. So when you stop for the day, wrap it up.
If you do get some warped pieces, carefully bend them in the opposite direction
and you can temporarily remove some of it. Once it is glued together as
a composite structure it will become stable. Most material is shipped in
18"-20" lengths, that is equal to 36-40 feet in real dimension. I don't
think you will find many real boards that long without some warp. Always
cut longest elements first and use the leftovers for the smaller items.
Layout
Boards,
Also notice the layout board
we have been using. It serves as a nice flat work surface. It is made of
a piece of graph paper sandwiched between two pieces of single strength glass.
The edges are taped together with clear packing tape. The graph paper
makes it easy to keep things square. We recommend you use wax paper to keep
glue from sticking laid on the plans and on your layout board if you use one,
but it isn't always available here and might not be in your area. So on with the
show!
Start by laying out a base frame with 1/4" framing material per drawing #4.
Outside dimensions should be 12" wide x 2 1/4" deep. Making sure to
keep it square and flat. Add 1/4" x 1/2" cross piece per layout drawing.
It ends up underneath where the front wall and the back edge of the porch decking
attaches.
Frame front wall per layout drawing #1 with 6x6 material. Make sure to keep it
square and flat. Leave off the 2 x 4, roof support until the siding is applied.
Leave the bottom plate one piece (full width) until done, then cut for the door
opening.
Layout 1x6 siding for front wall using the siding spacing sheet. Use tape face
up (duct tape works well) sticky side up laid on top of the drawing. Don't stretch
the tape or it will shorten the wall when you turn it over for gluing. Four strips
between door and windows and windows and ends of wall.
Tape wrapped over edge of layout board then twisted so it can be stuck to the
bottom side.
Cut 18 pieces for the top of the wall and set those aside as they will be applied
last. Using the short leftovers first start at the bottom placing best side up
on the front spacing drawing.
Press them firmly onto the tape working you way across adjusting as you go to
stay on the lines.
Place the next board lining up its top with the next line on the spacer sheet.
Cut them to length, and work your way up to the top around the window and door
openings. The tape will hold them together well enough so you can turn it over,
and apply beads of glue top to bottom, and spread them out with your finger.
Leave no lumps that might interfere with gluing the siding sheet to the framing.
This will hold them together so you can remove the tape and glue the siding sheet
to the front frame.
Wood blocks to hold the siding sheet flat while the glue sets up.
Technique for spreading glue. Important, don't glue the tape to the siding and
force the glue into the seams so it holds the siding pieces together.
All glue spread and weight applied to keep it flat with the glue sets up.
Attach 2x4 crossbeam to siding for porch roof support 1/8" in from the ends
of the wall after the siding has been attached to the front wall framing. If you
left the bottom 6x6 of the front wall framing one piece cut out the section at
the door now.
Attach
front to base frame with its backside (the 6x12 side) flush with the back of the
front wall framing.
Using 2x6 for front deck area cut pieces to length (we used 49 2 1/8" long)
and, lay them face down. Keeping them square and straight, apply a bead of glue
to the bottom side (the side you have up facing you), and spread it with your
finger or a brush. If you don't like that method, you can do them one at a time.
Starting at the ends and work your way to the middle and trim the last one to
fit to maintain 1/8 " overhang at the ends. If you used the mass gluing method,
trim and attach this glue side down to the base.
Porch floor done, make a threshold for the door opening out of 2x6 to raise the
door opening up to porch floor level.
Using 1x6 for jambs line the window and door openings. Make sure it is flush with
the highest points of the lap siding.
Apply 1x4 as trim around openings. Top trim piece can be left long, as was done
on old west buildings.
Using 2x2 make dividers per drawing. Adjust size as needed to fit your jambs.
Install them so their back side is flush with the 1x6 jambs backside. This makes
it easier to install glazing as it doesn't have to be cut to fit inside the jambs.
Make the door halves outer frame with 2x2 filling in the center with 1x6. Optional
batwing style door top piece is carved from left over 2x12. Doors may be glued
in open or closed position.
With 4x4 make the front porch frame. Space the 4 3 3/4" long posts per the
layout drawing. Attach 4x4 corner gussets to top of posts.
Attach the lower 2x4 and 2x4 rafters per the layout drawing.
A view with all the rafter parts in place.
Leave 1x12 roof boards overhang on front & sides 1/4". Start at each
end and fill in the middle.
We used 22 @ 2 3/8" long. Space them approx. 1/16" apart. Adjust so
they are evenly spaced with gaps narrow enough to be covered by the 1x 4 battens.
Apply the 1x4 to cover the gaps. Fill in the end frames with 1x6 siding.
Install a piece of 1x12 on each side all the way to the top of the wall. Its front
edge should be flush with the high points of the 1x6 front siding.
Install
1 x 4 corner boards so the cover the front edge of the 1x12 side corner boards.
Add 2x12 cap on front wall (center top section and side sections) flush with back
of front wall framing and even overhang on both sides. We left 1/8" overhang
on the ends. Trim the side 1x12 corner boards as needed to fit your application.
Front view of the building as a full kit with optional bat wing door on our layout.
With signs added sitting among the wild roses it was named after.
The prototype front as used on our layout as a trading post.
Finish as you
would any outside structure, making sure to seal it inside and out. Attach your
finished front to wall, fence or a framing of your own.
Good
Luck and Happy Railroading!
Thanks,
Mark & Sue Smith Smith
Pond Junctions Railroad Products Team@spjrr.com
Start by laying out a base frame with 1/4" framing material per drawing #4. Outside dimensions should be 12" wide x 2 1/4" deep. Making sure to keep it square and flat. Add 1/4" x 1/2" cross piece per layout drawing. It ends up underneath where the front wall and the back edge of the porch decking attaches.
Frame front wall per layout drawing #1 with 6x6 material. Make sure to keep it square and flat. Leave off the 2 x 4, roof support until the siding is applied. Leave the bottom plate one piece (full width) until done, then cut for the door opening.
Layout 1x6 siding for front wall using the siding spacing sheet. Use tape face up (duct tape works well) sticky side up laid on top of the drawing. Don't stretch the tape or it will shorten the wall when you turn it over for gluing. Four strips between door and windows and windows and ends of wall.
Tape wrapped over edge of layout board then twisted so it can be stuck to the bottom side.
Cut 18 pieces for the top of the wall and set those aside as they will be applied last. Using the short leftovers first start at the bottom placing best side up on the front spacing drawing.
Press them firmly onto the tape working you way across adjusting as you go to stay on the lines.
Place the next board lining up its top with the next line on the spacer sheet.
Cut them to length, and work your way up to the top around the window and door openings. The tape will hold them together well enough so you can turn it over, and apply beads of glue top to bottom, and spread them out with your finger.
Leave no lumps that might interfere with gluing the siding sheet to the framing. This will hold them together so you can remove the tape and glue the siding sheet to the front frame.
Wood blocks to hold the siding sheet flat while the glue sets up.
Technique for spreading glue. Important, don't glue the tape to the siding and force the glue into the seams so it holds the siding pieces together.
All glue spread and weight applied to keep it flat with the glue sets up.
Attach 2x4 crossbeam to siding for porch roof support 1/8" in from the ends of the wall after the siding has been attached to the front wall framing. If you left the bottom 6x6 of the front wall framing one piece cut out the section at the door now.
Attach front to base frame with its backside (the 6x12 side) flush with the back of the front wall framing.
Using 2x6 for front deck area cut pieces to length (we used 49 2 1/8" long) and, lay them face down. Keeping them square and straight, apply a bead of glue to the bottom side (the side you have up facing you), and spread it with your finger or a brush. If you don't like that method, you can do them one at a time. Starting at the ends and work your way to the middle and trim the last one to fit to maintain 1/8 " overhang at the ends. If you used the mass gluing method, trim and attach this glue side down to the base.
Porch floor done, make a threshold for the door opening out of 2x6 to raise the door opening up to porch floor level.
Using 1x6 for jambs line the window and door openings. Make sure it is flush with the highest points of the lap siding.
Apply 1x4 as trim around openings. Top trim piece can be left long, as was done on old west buildings.
Using 2x2 make dividers per drawing. Adjust size as needed to fit your jambs. Install them so their back side is flush with the 1x6 jambs backside. This makes it easier to install glazing as it doesn't have to be cut to fit inside the jambs.
Make the door halves outer frame with 2x2 filling in the center with 1x6. Optional batwing style door top piece is carved from left over 2x12. Doors may be glued in open or closed position.
With 4x4 make the front porch frame. Space the 4 3 3/4" long posts per the layout drawing. Attach 4x4 corner gussets to top of posts.
Attach the lower 2x4 and 2x4 rafters per the layout drawing.
A view with all the rafter parts in place.
Leave 1x12 roof boards overhang on front & sides 1/4". Start at each end and fill in the middle.
We used 22 @ 2 3/8" long. Space them approx. 1/16" apart. Adjust so they are evenly spaced with gaps narrow enough to be covered by the 1x 4 battens.
Apply the 1x4 to cover the gaps. Fill in the end frames with 1x6 siding.
Install a piece of 1x12 on each side all the way to the top of the wall. Its front edge should be flush with the high points of the 1x6 front siding.
Install 1 x 4 corner boards so the cover the front edge of the 1x12 side corner boards.
Add 2x12 cap on front wall (center top section and side sections) flush with back of front wall framing and even overhang on both sides. We left 1/8" overhang on the ends. Trim the side 1x12 corner boards as needed to fit your application.
Front view of the building as a full kit with optional bat wing door on our layout.
With signs added sitting among the wild roses it was named after.
The prototype front as used on our layout as a trading post.
